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SSgt Workman is featured in the Hall of Heroes and a book review on this from Marine Till Death that read it as it was written: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2008/12/shadow-of-the-sword-by-jeremiah-workman-w-john-bruning.html

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Thursday, November 14, 2013

The United States Postal System (USPS) has announced the recommended mailing dates for packages and envelopes going to APO/FPO/DPO addresses. Unlike years past, there are really only two sets of dates.

For almost all APO/FPO/DPO addresses:

Priority Mail Express Military Service: December 17th First Class mail: December 10th

For APO/FPO/DPO addresses that begin with 093:

Priority Mail Express Military Service: not available First Class mail: December 3rd Priority mail: December 3rd PAL mail: December 3rd SAM mail: November 26th Standard Post: November 12th Please keep in mind that these are recommendations and not guarantees. Earlier is always going to be cheaper and more likely to arrive on time. I can’t believe we’re dealing with Christmas already.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing from the Vietnam War, have been accounted for and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robert E. Pietsch, 31, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Maj. Louis F. Guillermin, 25, of West Chester, Pa.,will be buried as a group Oct. 16, in a single casket representing the two servicemen at Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. Guillermin’s individual remains weres buried Oct. 5, 2013, in Broomall, Pa.

On April 30, 1968, Guillermin and Pietsch were on an armed-reconnaissance mission when their A-26A Invader aircraft crashed in Savannakhet Province, Laos. Witnesses saw an explosion on the ground and did not see any signs of survivors. Search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful, and Guillermin and Pietsch were listed as Missing in Action.

In 1994, a joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR) team, lead by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), surveyed the crash site in Savannakhet Province, Laos. The team recovered human remains and evidence, but was unable to fully survey the site due to the presence of dangerous unexploded ordinance.

In 2006, joint U.S./LPDR teams assisted by Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel cleared the site and gathered additional human remains and evidence, such as personal effects and crew-related equipment.

The remains recovered were analyzed by scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory using circumstantial evidence and forensic analysis, such as mtDNA comparisons. Portions of the remains were individually identified as Guillermin through an mtDNA match from a hair sample from Guillermin’s medical file. The rest of the remains recovered were not individually identified, but correspond to both Pietsch and Guillermin.

There are more than 1,640 American service members still unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Force 1st Lt. Robert G. Fenstermacher, 23, of Scranton, Pa., will be buried on Oct. 18, in Arlington National Cemetery. On Dec. 26, 1944, Fenstermacher was a pilot of a P-47D Thunderbolt that was on an armed-reconnaissance mission against targets in Germany, when his aircraft crashed, near Petergensfeld, Belgium.

A U.S. military officer reported seeing Fenstermacher’s aircraft crash. Reaching the site shortly after impact, he recovered Fenstermacher’s identification tags from the burning wreckage. No remains or aircraft wreckage was recovered from the crash site at that time and Fenstermacher was declared killed in action.

Following the war, the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service (AGRS) investigated and interviewed a local Belgian woman who told team that an aircraft crashed into the side of her house. The team searched the surrounding area, but was unsuccessful locating the crash site.

In 2012, a group of local historians excavated a private yard in Petergensfeld, Belgium, recovering human remains and aircraft wreckage consistent with a P-47D. The remains were turned over to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).

To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental comparisons, which matched Fenstermacher’s records.

There are more than 400,000 American service members killed during WWII, and the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that two U.S. Marines missing in action from World War II, have been accounted for and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Henry S. White, 23, of Kansas City, Mo., and Staff Sgt. Thomas L. Meek, 19, of Lisbon, La., will be buried as a group in a single casket representing the two servicemen, on Oct. 18, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

On July 21, 1943, White and Meek were crew members of an SBD-4 Dauntless dive-bomber that departed Turtle Bay Airfield on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides, on a night training mission and failed to return. During the training mission, the aircraft was reported as crashed on a coral cliff on nearby Mavea Island. In September 1947, a U.S. Army Graves Registration Service team investigated the crash on Mavea Island, but recovered no remains. In 2012, a JPAC team excavated the crash site on Mavea Island, Republic of Vanuatu, and recovered the remains of White and Meek and non-biological evidence amid the aircraft wreckage, which included U.S. and Australian coins dating to 1942 and earlier, U.S. military captain’s bars, and a military identification tag that correlates to Meek by name and service number. What was found at the crash site, along with the remains, correlate circumstantially to White and Meek, however, no individual identifications were possible.

There are more than 400,000 American service members that were killed during WWII, and the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of Air Force pilots Maj. James E. Sizemore of Lawrenceville, Ill., and Maj. Howard V. Andre Jr., of Memphis, Tenn., have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors on Sept. 23 at Arlington National Cemetery.

On July 8, 1969, Sizemore and Andre were on a night armed reconnaissance mission when their A-26A Invader aircraft crashed in Xiangkhoang Province, Laos. Both men died in the crash but their remains were unaccounted for until April 2013.

In 1993, a joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic Republic team investigated an aircraft crash site in Laos. They recovered aircraft wreckage from an A-26. The team was not able to conduct a complete excavation of the site at that time.

In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental comparison – which matched Sizemore’s records.

There are more than 1,640 American service members that are still unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, call 703-699-1169 or visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. Butwe in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds hisblood with me, shall always be my brother.” (W.Shakespeare)Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

National POW/MIA Recognition Day is Friday, Sept. 20, 2013. Each year the president issues a proclamation asking Americans to observe the day as a remembrance of the nation’s service members who were held prisoner or are still missing, and their families.

The day’s events include a Pentagon commemoration ceremony hosting former prisoners of war, family members, military service members and distinguished guests. Traditionally held on the third Friday in September, the event will include formal military honors and remarks from a keynote speaker.

Observances of National POW/MIA Recognition Day are held across the country on military installations, at state capitols, in local communities, schools and at various veterans' facilities. Many events observe the tradition of a “Missing Man Table,” which is a set dinner table that remains empty in honor of the more than 83,000 missing service members from past conflicts.

As a result of resolutions passed in Congress, the first official commemoration of POW/MIAs was in 1979, when the first national ceremony was held. The observance is one of six days of the year that Congress has mandated the flying of the POW/MIA flag, created by the National League of Families, at major military installations, national cemeteries, all post offices, VA medical facilities, the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the offices of the secretaries of state, defense and veterans affairs, the director of the selective service system and the White House.

The Department of Defense has more than 600 people dedicated to the worldwide mission of accounting for the more than 83,000 missing service members from conflicts as far back as World War II.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 - The Marines have a rotational element that deploys to Darwin, Australia, as part of the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region. The Navy has started littoral combat ship rotations in Singapore.

Now an Army attack reconnaissance squadron is deploying to South Korea, where it will spend the next nine months as the first U.S. rotational land forces in the region.

Friday, September 13, 2013

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Force 2nd Lt. Valorie L. Pollard of Monterey, Calif. and Sgt. Dominick J. Licari of Frankfort, N.Y. will be buried as a group in a single casket, on Sept. 19 at Arlington National Cemetery. The individually-identified remains of Licari were buried on Aug. 6 in Frankfort, N.Y.On March 13, 1944, Pollard and Licari were crew members of an A-20G Havoc bomber that failed to return to base in a country now known as Papua New Guinea. The aircraft crashed after attacking enemy targets on the island. In 2012, the A-20G crash site in the mountains of Papua New Guinea was excavated and the remains of Licari and Pollard were recovered.

There are more than 400,000 American service members that were killed during WWII, and the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. Butwe in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds hisblood with me, shall always be my brother.” (W.Shakespeare)Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Navy’s newest Virginia-class attack submarine Minnesota will be commissioned Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at the Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Ellen Roughead, wife of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead and a Minnesota native, will serve as ship's sponsor. In the time-honored Navy tradition she will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" Minnesota, the 10th ship of the Virginia class is named in honor of the state's citizens and their continued support to our nation's military. Minnesota has a long tradition of honoring its veterans of wars past and present. The state is proud to be home to 46 Medal of Honor recipients that span from the Civil War to the Vietnam War.

Monday, August 12, 2013

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a service member, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Marine Corps Pfc. Jonathan R. Posey Jr., 20, of Dallas, will be buried Aug. 12 in Arlington National Cemetery. In December 1950, Posey, assigned to L Battery, 4th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, was serving provisionally as an infantryman with the 7th Marine Regiment at Yudam-ni in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir. On Dec. 2, 1950, Posey was killed in action while the 5th and 7th Marine Regiments were withdrawing to Hagaru-ri.

In 1954, United Nations and Communist Forces exchanged the remains of war dead in what came to be called “Operation Glory.” All remains recovered in Operation Glory were turned over to the Army Central Identification Unit for analysis. Those that were unable to be identified were interred as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, known as the “Punchbowl.”

In 2012, analysts from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command reevaluated Posey’s records and determined that portions of the remains recovered from Operation Glory should be exhumed for identification. To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental and radiograph comparison, which matched Posey’s records.

Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously recovered from North and South Korea. More than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

Friday, July 26, 2013

MCLEAN, Va., July 24, 2013 - Two fallen Navy petty officers became the 18th and 19th recipients of the National Intelligence Medal for Valor in a July 22 ceremony at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence here.

Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, left, posthumously awards the National Intelligence Medal for Valor to Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jared Day's parents, Karolyn Kimball Day and Sam Day of Salt Lake City, in a ceremony at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in McLean, Va., July 22, 2013. Day, a tactical communicator, and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Strange, an information operations operator, were assigned within Naval special operations when they were killed Aug. 6, 2011, in Afghanistan in a helicopter crash following a rocket-propelled grenade attack. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

The families of Petty Officers 1st Class Jared W. Day and Michael J. Strange received the posthumous awards.

Calling Day and Strange "two young heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country," Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper presented the medals in front of a standing-room-only gathering of families, friends and shipmates.

Day, a few days shy of his 29th birthday when he died, was a tactical communicator, and Strange, 25, was an information operations operator. Both were assigned within Naval special operations when they responded Aug. 6, 2011, to enemy forces escaping from a nearby raid in an enemy-contested valley of eastern Afghanistan, the award citations read.

Knowing the valley served as an enemy safe haven with no sustained coalition force presence, and knowing that their mission was to interdict and ambush an armed enemy force, Day and Strange volunteered to pursue an enemy known to have attacked and killed coalition forces with plans for future attacks, the citations said.

Both "selflessly chose to interdict the fleeing enemy when [they] boarded the helicopter with [their] teammates," the citations said, but the aggressive mission ended tragically when their helicopter was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, causing it to crash and killing all on board.

Twenty-eight other Americans, eight Afghans and a military working dog were en route to assist an Army Ranger unit engaged in a firefight with Taliban forces west of the Afghan capital of Kabul, Clapper added.

Friday, July 19, 2013

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and have been returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Michael B. Judd of Cleveland was buried on July 15, in Arlington National Cemetery. On June 30, 1967, Judd was aboard a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter that was attempting to insert a U.S. Marine Corps reconnaissance team into hostile territory in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam. As the helicopter approached the landing zone, it was struck by enemy fire from the surrounding tree line, causing the aircraft to catch fire. The aircraft crashed landed. Although most of the reconnaissance team to survived, Judd and four other crew members of the team, died in the crash.

In 1993, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case in Thua Thien-Hue Province. The team interviewed local villagers who claimed to have discovered an aircraft crash site in the nearby forest while searching for firewood in 1991. The team surveyed the location finding aircraft wreckage that could not be associated with a CH-46A.

During the 1990s, joint U.S./ S.R.V. teams continued to investigated the loss in Thua Thien-Hue Province. In 1999, the team interviewed the same local villagers who provide relevant case information and the joint team surveyed the crash site again, this time uncovering aircraft wreckage consistent with a U.S. military helicopter.

In 2012, joint U.S./ S.R.V. recovery teams began excavating the crash site and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage from the CH-46A helicopter that Judd was aboard.

Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, including dental comparisons in the identification of Judd remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1420.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and have been returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Sgt. Bernard J. Fisher of Wilkes Barre, Pa., was buried July 16, in Arlington National Cemetery. In January 1951, Fisher and elements of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment (IR), 24th Infantry Division (ID), were deployed northeast of Seoul, South Korea, where they were attacked by enemy forces. During the 19th IR attempt to delay the enemy forces from advancing, Fisher and his unit moved towards a more defensible position, when the unit suffered heavy losses. It was during this attack, that Fisher was reported missing.

In July 1951, the U.S. Army Graves Registration recovered the remains of four men north of Shaha-dong, near Seoul, South Korea. The remains were buried in the United Nation Cemetery at Tanggok, South Korea, and were disinterred and transferred to the U.S. Army’s Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan for laboratory analysis.

During the analysis the remains of three men could not be positively identified. In March 1955, a military review board declared the remains of the fourth to be unidentifiable. The unidentified remains were transferred to Hawaii, where they were interred as “unknown” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the “Punchbowl.”

In 2012, U.S. officials reevaluated Fisher’s records and determined that with advances in technology, the unknown remains could likely be identified. Following the reevaluation, the decision was made to exhume the remains for scientific analysis identification.

In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental comparison and chest radiograph – which matched Fisher’s records.

Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1420.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that a soldier, missing from the Vietnam War, has been accounted for and will be buried with full military honors along with two of his crew members.

Army Spc. 5 John L. Burgess, of Sutton Bay, Mich., was the crew chief of a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter that crashed in Binh Phuoc Province, South Vietnam. Also, killed in the crash were 1st Lt. Leslie F. Douglas Jr., of Verona, Miss.; lst Lt. Richard Dyer, of Central Falls, R.I.; and Sgt. 1st Class Juan Colon-Diaz, of Comerio, Puerto Rico. Another crew member, Pfc. John Goosman, survived the crash and was rescued. Remains representing Dyer, Colon-Diaz, and Burgess, will be buried as a group in a single casket, on July 2, at Arlington National Cemetery.

On June 30, 1970, while on a command and control mission, the helicopter was struck by enemy fire, causing it to crash. Shortly thereafter, friendly forces recovered remains of Douglas, Colon-Diaz, and Dyer. The three men were individually identified and buried with full military honors. At that time, no remains were attributed to Burgess.

From 1992 to 2012, more than a dozen joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case, in Binh Phuoc Province, recovering human remains, personal effects, military equipment, and aircraft wreckage associated with this loss.

Burgess was accounted for using forensic and circumstantial evidence.

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

Wednesday, June 05, 2013

The Department of Defense announced today three grants from the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) totaling $90,768,089 to the Clover Park School District, Lakewood, Wash., for the demolition and new construction of the Greenwood ($28,566,022), Clarkmoor ($30,870,778) and Beachwood ($31,331,289) Elementary Schools on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

The Clover Park School District will manage three projects totaling $113,843,553, consisting of $90,768,089 in grant funds and a combined non-federal share of $23,075,465 in matching funds to demolish and build the new Greenwood, Clarkmoor and Beachwood Elementary Schools. Together the three schools will serve 1,550 students in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth.

Funding for these grants is provided under the department's Public Schools on Military Installations Program. OEA, in making these funds available, must give priority consideration to those military installations with schools having the most serious capacity or facility condition deficiencies, as determined by the priority list. A multi-disciplined federal evaluation team, with membership from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the military services, U.S. Department of Education, and OEA reviewed the school projects to ensure the awards appropriately address the noted capacity and facility condition deficiencies.

Friday, May 24, 2013

The Army released suicide data today for the month of April 2013. During April, among active-duty soldiers, there were 11 potential suicides: one has been confirmed as a suicide and 10 remain under investigation. For March 2013, the Army reported 10 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers; six have been confirmed as suicides and four are under investigation. For 2013, there have been 52 potential active-duty suicides: 22 have been confirmed as suicides and 30 remain under investigation. Updated active-duty suicide numbers for 2012: 184 (159 have been confirmed as suicides and 25 remain under investigation).

During April 2013, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 16 potential suicides (13 Army National Guard and three Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicides and 16 remain under investigation. For March 2013, among that same group, the Army reported 12 potential suicides; however, subsequent to the report, another case was added bringing March's total to 13 (nine Army National Guard and four Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicides and 13 cases remain under investigation. For 2013, there have been 57 potential not on active duty suicides (36 Army National Guard and 21 Army Reserve): 21 have been confirmed as suicides and 36 remain under investigation. Updated not on active duty suicide numbers for 2012: 140 (93 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve); 138 have been confirmed as suicides and two remain under investigation.

Retention. The Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps exhibited strong retention numbers for the sixth month of fiscal 2013. The Navy exhibited strong retention numbers in the mid-career and career categories. However, the Navy's achievement of 90 percent in the initial category is a result of reduced accessions from four to six years ago.

Reserve Component.

Recruiting. Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their fiscal-year-to-date 2013 numerical accession goals. The Army Reserve finished January 1,501 accessions short of its goal.

• Army National Guard -- 26,100 accessions, with a goal of 25,005; 104 percent

• Army Reserve -- 12,976 accessions, with a goal of 14,477; 90 percent

Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve announced this week a decrease in activated National Guard members and reservists while the Army National Guard and Army Reserve announced an increase of activated National Guard members and reservists. The net collective result is 68 additional National Guard members and reservists activated in comparison to last week.

At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 39,757; Navy Reserve, 4,311; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 8,269; Marine Corps Reserve, 2,464; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 541. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 55,342, including both units and individual augmentees.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

The Army released suicide data today for the month of March 2013. During March, among active-duty soldiers, there were 10 potential suicides: three have been confirmed as suicides and seven remain under investigation. For February 2013, the Army reported 11 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers; four have been confirmed as suicides and seven are under investigation. For 2013, there have been 41 potential active-duty suicides: 15 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation. Updated active-duty suicide numbers for 2012: 184 (158 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation).

During March 2013, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 12 potential suicides (eight Army National Guard and four Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicides and 12 remain under investigation. For February 2013, among that same group, the Army reported 14 potential suicides (eight Army National Guard and six Army Reserve); six have been confirmed as suicides and eight cases remain under investigation. For 2013, there have been 40 potential not on active duty suicides (22 Army National Guard and 18 Army Reserve): 19 have been confirmed as suicides and 21 remain under investigation. Updated not on active duty suicide numbers for 2012: 140 (93 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve); 138 have been confirmed as suicides and two remain under investigation.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Air Force Reserve announced this week a decrease in activated reservists while the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Air National Guard and Coast Guard Reserve announced an increase of activated National Guard members and reservists. The net collective result is 328 additional National Guard members and reservists activated in comparison to last week.

At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 39,434; Navy Reserve, 4,335; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 8,495; Marine Corps Reserve, 2,466; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 544. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 55,274, including both units and individual augmentees.

Instead, the military will recognize service members who directly affect combat operations without being present through distinguishing devices that will be affixed to already existing awards.

Soon after being sworn in as defense secretary Feb. 27, 2013, Hagel asked Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to lead a review of the medal.

"The Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the concurrence of the service secretaries, have recommended the creation of a new distinguishing device that can be affixed to existing medals to recognize the extraordinary actions of this small number of men and women," Hagel said in a written release.

"I agree with the Joint Chiefs' findings, and have directed the creation of a distinguishing device instead of a separate medal," Hagel said in the release.

Hagel added: "The servicemen and women who operate and support our remotely piloted aircraft, operate in cyber, and others are critical to our military's mission of safeguarding the nation."

The distinguishing devices will serve to recognize these service members' achievements, he said.

The undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness will develop the award criteria in close coordination with the services and the Joint Staff, officials said.

DOD announced the creation of the Distinguished Warfare Medal Feb. 13, 2013.

"I've always felt -- having seen the great work that they do, day-in and day-out -- that those who performed in an outstanding manner should be recognized," then-Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a news conference announcing the medal.

"Unfortunately," Panetta added, "medals that they otherwise might be eligible for simply did not recognize that kind of contribution."

Members of veterans' service organizations and others objected to the Distinguished Warfare Medal, officials said. The medal's order of precedence was to be just below the Distinguished Flying Cross and just above the Bronze Star. Some commentators objected that it would rank higher than the Purple Heart -- awarded to those wounded or killed in action.

"When I came into office, concerns were raised to me about the Distinguished Warfare Medal's order of precedence by veterans' organizations, members of Congress and other stakeholders whose views are valued by this department's leadership," Hagel said.

The distinguishing devices can be affixed to awards at different levels, so, once written, the criteria for the awards must reflect that, officials said. For example, the criteria for affixing a device to an Army Commendation Medal would be different than those for a Meritorious Service Medal -- a higher award.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The Department of Defense today identified four major units to deploy as part of the upcoming rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan. The scheduled rotation involves one cavalry regiment with roughly 3,000 personnel; one armored brigade combat team (ABCT) with roughly 3,200 personnel; one infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) with roughly 2,200 personnel; and a division headquarters with roughly 450 personnel to rotate in summer 2013. The deploying units include:

Thursday, April 04, 2013

The Department of Defense announced today recruiting and retention statistics for the Active and Reserve Components for fiscal year (FY) 2013 through February.

Active Component.

Recruiting. All four active Services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for FY 2013 through February.

Army – 26,978 accessions, with a goal of 26,795; 101 percent

Navy – 14,007 accessions, with a goal of 14,007; 100 percent

Marine Corps – 11,131 accessions, with a goal of 11,112; 100 percent

Air Force – 11,874 accessions, with a goal of 11,874; 100 percent

Retention. The Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps exhibited strong retention numbers through the 5th month of FY 2013. The Navy exhibited strong retention numbers in the mid-career and career categories.However, the Navy's achievement of 88 percent in the initial category is a result of the transition from a downsizing to a stabilizing posture.

Reserve Component.

Recruiting. Five of the six Reserve Components met or exceeded their Fiscal-Year-To-Date (FYTD) 2013 recruiting goals. The Army Reserve finished February 1,410 accessions short of its FYTD goal.

Army National Guard – 21,186 accessions, with a goal of 20,664; 103 percent

Friday, March 22, 2013

The Army released suicide data today for the month of February 2013. During February, among active-duty soldiers, there were 11 potential suicides: three have been confirmed as suicides and eight remain under investigation. For January 2013, the Army reported 19 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers; however, subsequent to the report, another case was added bringing January's total to 20: seven have been confirmed as suicides and 13 are under investigation. For CY 2013, there have been 31 potential active-duty suicides: 10 have been confirmed as suicides and 21 remain under investigation. Updated active-duty suicide numbers for CY 2012: 183 (156 have been confirmed as suicides and 27 remain under investigation).

During February, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 13 potential suicides (eight Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): four have been confirmed and nine are still under investigation. For January 2013, among that same group, the Army reported 14 potential suicides; nine have been confirmed and five cases remain under investigation. For CY 2013, there have been 27 potential not on active duty suicides (14 Army National Guard and 13 Army Reserve): 13 have been confirmed as suicides and 14 remain under investigation. Updated not on active duty suicide numbers for CY 2012: 140 (93 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve); 136 have been confirmed as suicides and four remain under investigation.

Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Trained consultants are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and can be contacted by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or by visiting their website at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org .

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Department of Defense announced today recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for fiscal 2013, through January.

Active Component.

Recruiting. All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2013, through October.

Army – 20,273 accessions, with a goal of 20,175; 100 percent

Navy – 10,990 accessions, with a goal of 10,990; 100 percent

Marine Corps – 9,244 accessions, with a goal of 9,230; 100 percent

Air Force – 9,589 accessions, with a goal of 9,589; 100 percent

Retention. The Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps exhibited strong retention numbers for the fourth month of fiscal 2013. The Navy exhibited strong retention numbers in the mid-career and career categories. However, the Navy's achievement of 86 percent in the initial category is a result of the transition from a downsizing to a stabilizing posture.

Reserve Component.

Recruiting. Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their fiscal-year-to-date 2013 numerical accession goals. The Army Reserve finished January 1,034 accessions short of its goal.

Army National Guard – 17,100 accessions, with a goal of 16,314; 105 percent

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

By Cheryl Pellerin, AFPS, WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2013 - A Defense Department inspector general investigation into allegations of professional misconduct has cleared Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday.

In a statement, Little said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was pleased to learn the investigation did not substantiate the allegations and that the inspector general has closed the investigation.

On Oct. 10, President Barack Obama nominated Allen to serve as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, now in that position, is scheduled to retire.

In November, while Panetta was traveling in the Asia-Pacific region, the FBI referred a matter involving Allen to the Defense Department.

Panetta directed that the matter be referred to the DOD IG for investigation. He informed the chairman and ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee.

The secretary also asked the ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to delay a confirmation hearing scheduled for Nov. 15 on Allen's pending NATO nomination until the matter was resolved.

On Dec. 3, the Senate confirmed Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., assistant Marine Corps commandant, as the next commander of ISAF and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Panetta, Little said in his statement, "has complete confidence in the continued leadership of General Allen, who is serving with distinction in Afghanistan."

Friday, January 18, 2013

By Claudette Roulo, AFPS, KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss., Jan. 16, 2013 - The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today that he can't succeed at his job without the help of enlisted service members, and he called on noncommissioned officers to know their troops well enough to head off problems.

Air Force and Marine Corps first sergeants assigned to Keesler Air Force Base met with Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia and talked about several challenges faced by the enlisted force.

"You have a hard job," he told the noncommissioned officers. "I wish I could give you a pay raise."

Over breakfast, Battaglia answered questions about suicide prevention efforts and whether the position of senior enlisted advisor to the chairman would become an enduring one.

The fact that the military suicide rate is lower than that of the population at large shouldn't be considered a compliment or accolade, Battaglia said. "We don't use society as a bar," he noted, adding that instead, the military should stand as a model for society.

The military suicide prevention effort will succeed only if suicide is taken out of the decision-making process for service members, Battaglia said. "This is easier said than done," he acknowledged, but he told the first sergeants they are up to the challenge.

Battaglia said he recently came to the realization that "maybe we're studying the wrong thing" in the suicide prevention effort. Instead of studying what the military is doing wrong, he said, he is now focusing on what it's doing right.

For example, he told the NCOs, the suicide rate in U.S. Forces Korea is nearly zero. Discussions with the senior enlisted leaders there have shown him that command climate and operational focus are essential tools in battling suicide.

As to whether the job of senior enlisted advisor to the chairman continues to exist after he leaves it, Battaglia told the service members it depends on how he performs. The position is resonating well throughout the force, he said, adding that he hopes it continues.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey's first official act as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was to swear in his enlisted advisor, the sergeant major said. "That was huge," he added, because it indicated the value the chairman places on enlisted service members.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

The Department of Defense announced today recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for fiscal 2013, through November.

Active Component.

Recruiting. All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2013, through November.

Army – 11,685 accessions, with a goal of 11,550; 101 percent

Navy – 5,299 accessions, with a goal of 5,299; 100 percent

Marine Corps – 4,293 accessions, with a goal of 4,307; 100 percent

Air Force – 4,452 accessions, with a goal of 4,452; 100 percent

Retention. The Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps exhibited strong retention numbers for the second month of fiscal 2013. While the Navy exhibited strong retention numbers in the mid-career and career categories, the Navy's achievement of 88 percent in the initial category is a result of the transition from a downsizing to a stabilizing posture.

Reserve Component.

Recruiting. Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their fiscal-year-to-date 2013 recruiting goals. The Army Reserve finished November 654 short of their goal.

Army National Guard – 8,453 accessions, with a goal of 7,146; 118 percent

Saturday, January 05, 2013

By Amaani Lyle, American Forces Press Service, WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2013 - The Defense Department sponsors Duke University researchers to conduct projects in mathematics, engineering and biology that advance military capabilities and strengthen national security, a university official said in a recent phone interview.

Duke University researchers actively participate in DOD programs and awards, and projects are designed to help the warfighter enhance intelligence gathering, avoid battlefield hazards and maintain medical readiness, said Dr. Jim Siedow, the university's vice provost for research.

"There's always been an interest in Duke scientists for projects that might be defense related," Siedow said. "It's an important element of research for us, given that a lot of what the military does today involves gathering intelligence -- so the better you're able to do that, the safer the world is likely to be."

Although the research projects typically do not bear fruit for decades, Siedow described relatively short-term success stories from past and current projects.

"[An electrical engineer professor] developed algorithms applied to the function of cochlear implants that allow people to hear, so there's a computer technology associated with [it]," he said.

The U.S. Army, Siedow said, now uses the same algorithms, or step-by-step calculations, transforming them into handheld and ground standoff mine detection systems able to detect explosive objects.

"That came out of military-funded work on cochlear implants, which then evolved into helping to detect explosives and landmines in Afghanistan," he explained.

Another project, pre-symptomatic detection and diagnostics, improves the detection of illnesses caused by pathogens before they become severe, Siedow said.

"In the military, you've got a lot of people, often crammed into close quarters, who may be headed out to battle," Siedow said. "If one of them is coming down with something contagious, whether naturally or from enemy actions, you want to know that before you send 99 [troops] and one infected person into the field. This could ultimately lead to more than 50 of them becoming infected."

Siedow said the challenge is to detect when someone has been exposed to or is carrying a disease.

"You can understand the importance of that, but you can also understand the complexity of that," Siedow said of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-funded venture.

Perhaps one of the more futuristic and science fiction-inspired projects is research in an engineering area known as metamaterials, dubbed the "invisibility cloak," Siedow said.

And Duke University is one of the world's leaders in metamaterials research, he said.

Siedow explained that researchers can modify an object's electromagnetic properties to actually change the nature of the material and its capability of being perceived.

"Think about the old television series 'Star Trek,'" he said. "The Klingons could 'cloak' their spacecraft so they couldn't be seen ... and with metamaterials we can do the same thing."

Siedow knows of a variety of military uses for such technology.

"It's one thing to have a stealth fighter that's hard to see," he said. "It's another thing to have an aircraft that literally can't be seen -- by radar or the naked eye, depending on how you align it -- even though it's there."

The magic behind the science is simple in theory.

"You and I envision something not because we see it, but because light gets refracted off of it," he said. "You can set up these mechanisms where nothing gets reflected so there isn't any way of seeing it."

Siedow believes the metamaterials project is on the verge of bringing about widespread change in how the military operates.

"Within the decade, metamaterials will become an inherent part of our standard military operations," he said. "We're very well positioned to take advantage of that and we'll continue to see DOD funding any number of things."

The university gets research funding from a variety of DOD agencies, and many projects have heavily integrated the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation.

But as funding for NIH and NSF has stabilized or at times even declined, researchers and engineers have also been able to rely on DOD, where science, health and technology projects abound, Siedow said.

DOD partnerships with Duke University as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University have, in many instances, led to grants and contracts from the Army Research Office, Siedow said.

DOD-sponsored research expenditures at Duke University increased from $17.7 million in fiscal year 2008 to more than $30 million by 2011, according to the university's financial reports.

"Many of these projects funded by DOD are interdisciplinary, so they're being done not only in conjunction with Duke scientists but scientists elsewhere," Siedow said.

He said even basic research makes the funding and partnerships worthy ventures.

"In the early stages, you've got a lot of primary physics and engineering principles that need to be well understood to turn that into a working product," Siedow said. "Universities have historically been positioned at the early, not latter, stages of that research continuum."

With hundreds of collaborative research projects in the works over the last several decades, Siedow asserts that scholarly and military research endeavors can coexist and complement each other.

"Most nuclear engineers in this country who work in nuclear power plants got their start on a submarine -- that's the big training ground," Siedow said. "Service to your country and practicing as a scientist are not incompatible."

Friday, December 28, 2012

Retired Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, born 22 AUG 1934, who commanded the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait in 1991, has died. He was 78.

Schwarzkopf died Thursday, 27 DEC 2012, from complications from pneumonia in Tampa, Florida.

"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it." General H. Norman Scwarzkopf

Schwarzkopf lived in Tehran, while his father Major General Schwarzkopf was stationed there, when he was a teenager.

A highly-decorated combat soldier in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was known popularly as “Stormin' Norman.'' In 1990-91, he led Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, which protected Saudi Arabia from invasion and then liberated Kuwait from Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's forces.

"As far as Saddam Hussein being a great military strategist, he is neither a strategist, nor is he schooled in the operational arts, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general, nor is he a soldier. Other than that, he's a great military man, I want you to know that." General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

General Schwarzkopf had a reputation for fiercely fighting for his men, and taking risks to ensure their survival.

Schwarzkopf lived in Tampa, where he served in his last military assignment as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Central Command, the headquarters responsible for U.S. military and security concerns in nearly 20 countries from the eastern Mediterranean and Africa to Pakistan.

Schwarzkopf retired from active service in late 1991. Following Desert Storm, many pressed the General to run for political office, but he preferred to stay out of the limelight.

The White House said of Schwarzkopf's passing that the general's “legacy will endure in a nation that is more secure because of his patriotic service.”

Saturday, December 22, 2012

The Department of Defense (DoD) today released key findings from the Academic Program Year (APY) 2011-2012 "Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the United States Military Service Academies." As part of this year's review, the superintendents of the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy assessed their academy's policies, training, and procedures for effectiveness of prevention and response to sexual harassment and violence. The report also contains the results from the "2012 Service Academy Gender Relations Survey."

Consistent with department-wide efforts to increase victim reporting, the academies saw an overall increase in the number of sexual assault reports made to authorities in APY 2011-2012. During the evaluation period, a total of 80 reports of sexual assault involved cadets and midshipmen compared to a total of 65 reports in the prior APY. Thirteen of the reports made this year were for sexual assaults that occurred prior to the cadets and midshipmen entering military service, as compared to five such reports made in the previous year. All who reported a sexual assault were provided with access to support services through their sexual assault response coordinators.

"We recognize there is more work to do on sexual assault prevention across the Department of Defense as well as at the military academies," said Maj. Gen. Gary S. Patton, director, DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.

Anonymous survey results showed the overall rate of unwanted sexual contact at the service academies has not changed since 2010. The Service Academy Gender Relations Survey found a slight increase in the prevalence rate of unwanted sexual contact among female cadets at the United States Military Academy. There was no statistical change in the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact among male cadets and midshipmen.

Survey results also showed a significant decrease in the prevalence of sexual harassment experienced by women at the U.S. Air Force Academy and men at the U.S. Naval Academy. There were no other statistically significant changes in prevalence rates of sexual harassment at the academies.

Citing the need for greater progress, the secretary has directed the services to review and enhance their academy programs: http://www.defense.gov/news/ServiceAcademiesSecDefMemo.pdf . The service secretaries are to report back to him in 90 days with plans to advance a climate of dignity and respect and to more completely integrate sexual assault and harassment prevention into the full spectrum of academy life and learning.

"My staff and I plan to work with each academy and service in the months ahead to find new ways to incorporate prevention of sexual assault and harassment into academy culture," said Patton.

Friday, December 14, 2012

The Army Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and the Coast Guard Reserve announced this week a decrease in activated Guard members and reservists while the Army National Guard and Navy Reserve announced an increase of activated Guard members and reservists. The net collective result is 469 more reservists and National Guard members activated in comparison to last week.

At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 42,013; Navy Reserve, 4,946; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 8,241; Marine Corps Reserve, 2,386; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 658. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 58,244, including both units and individual augmentees.

The Army released suicide data today for the month of November. During November, among active-duty soldiers, there were 12 potential suicides: one has been confirmed as a suicide and 11 remain under investigation. For October, the Army reported 20 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers; since the release of that report, one case has been removed for a total of 19 cases: nine have been confirmed as suicides and 10 remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 177 potential active-duty suicides: 113 have been confirmed as suicides and 64 remain under investigation. Active-duty suicide number for 2011: 165 confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

During November, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 15 potential suicides (12 Army National Guard and three Army Reserve): two have been confirmed as suicide and 13 remain under investigation. For October, among that same group, the Army reported 13 potential suicides; since the release of that report, one case has been removed for a total of 12 cases (eight Army National Guard and four Army Reserve); six have been confirmed as suicides and six remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 126 potential not on active-duty suicides (84 Army National Guard and 42 Army Reserve): 97 have been confirmed as suicides and 29 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

"As part of the Army's team-based and holistic approach to suicide prevention and stigma reduction, Army chaplains remain committed to fostering a resilient and ready force by enhancing strength, reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking behaviors," said the Army's Maj. Gen. Donald L. Rutherford, Chief of Chaplains. "Our soldiers, families and civilians are our most precious resource, and the chaplaincy embodies the best of our Army values when it proclaims hope, embraces community, and stands with those who feel they stand alone."

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2012 - All four active-duty services and five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their recruiting goals in the first month of fiscal 2013, Defense Department officials announced today.

Here are the active-duty services' accessions for October:

-- Army: 5,080 accessions, 101 percent of its goal of 5,050;

-- Navy: 2,256 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 2,256;

-- Marine Corps: 2,482 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 2,471; and

-- Air Force: 1,985 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 1,985.

All four services exhibited strong retention numbers for the first month of fiscal 2013, officials said.

As a result of the Navy's transition from a downsizing to a stabilizing posture, Zone A (Initial) is at 92 percent. However, the other two zones continue to exhibit strong retention numbers, officials said.

Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for the first month of fiscal 2013.

-- Army National Guard: 4,211 accessions, 123 percent of its goal of 3,424;

-- Air National Guard: 647 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 647; and

-- Air Force Reserve: 691 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 691.

The Army Reserve finished short of its goal for the month "as a result of precision recruiting," which was implemented in "an attempt to rebalance the force." Increased job announcements should help mitigate this shortfall, officials explained.

All reserve components met their fiscal 2012 attrition goals, officials said. This indicator lags by one month due to data availability.

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

President Barack Obama says nuclear terrorism is still one of the world's greatest security threats, despite success in cutting U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles.

Mr. Obama said Monday that terrorists and criminal gangs are doing everything to get their hands on nuclear, biological and chemical materials. He said these materials are being stored without enough protection.

He said the world cannot allow the 21st century to be darkened by the worst weapons of the 20th century.

Mr. Obama also called for an updated agreement with Russia, which has announced it will not renew its participation in the Nunn-Lugar pact — the 20-year-old law that eliminates nuclear missiles and chemical weapon stockpiles in the former Soviet Union.

President Obama said that thanks to Nunn-Lugar, thousands of missiles, bombers and submarines have been destroyed or deactivated.

The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program was the brainchild of former Democratic Senator Sam Nunn and retiring Republican Senator Richard Lugar. VoA.

Friday, November 30, 2012

A U.S. Army analyst, charged in the largest security breach in U.S. military history, has taken the stand for the first time in a pre-trial hearing on his detention conditions.

Bradley Manning testified Thursday about restrictions he endured while in custody at an army base in Kuwait and later in Quantico, Virginia (near Washington). During his three-hour testimony, Manning complained the time he spent alone in his cell was draining. He claimed there were times he thought he was going to die.

Manning downloaded thousands of diplomatic cables and other Top Secret material onto compact discs that were sent to the anti-American website WikiLeaks. He has offered to accept responsibility for the leak by pleading guilty to reduced charges. A decision on that offer has not been made.

The defendant has said that while at Quantico he was locked up alone in a windowless cell for 23 hours a day and forced to sleep naked. The military notes the treatment was necessary because he posed a suicide risk. Manning made multiple threats of suicide, including to hang himself by his underwear waistband.

Lawyers for Manning are asking for his charges to be dropped, saying the pretrial conditions were harsh enough. Manning has claimed that he was too gay to be given a Security Clearance in the first place, much less access to classified material. Prior to Clinton's DADT policy, homosexuals were denied a security clearance or entry into the military.

Manning could spend the rest of his life in prison if found guilty.

The leaked diplomatic cables and military reports, published by WikiLeaks starting in July 2010, infuriated the international community, often providing blunt and unflattering U.S. views of world leaders' private and public lives and placing the lives of Iraqi and Afghani, as well as US Soldiers and Dipomats in danger.

U.S. officials say WikiLeaks' publication of the stolen documents put lives in danger, threatened national security and undermined U.S. efforts to work with other countries. VoA.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Communist China will soon order border police to board and search non-Chinese ships that enter what Beijing claims as its territorial waters in the disputed South China Sea.

In a move likely to raise regional tensions, state mediasay police in the southern island province of Hainan will soon be authorized to “land on, check, seize, and expel foreign ships” that enter the area 'illegally," despite international recognition that the area belongs to other nations.

The official China Daily says “illegal” activities include entering the province's waters without permission and “engaging in publicity that endangers China's national security.” It says the new rules will take effect January 1.

Hainan, China's southernmost province, administers nearly two million square kilometers of the sea. In July, the Chinese military angered its neighbors by setting up a garrison in Hainan's newly established Sansha City, in an effort to enforce its claims in the region.

Many of China's rival claimants, which include the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan, are concerned about what they see as Beijing's increasing assertiveness in defending its claims in the energy-rich South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in a regular briefing Thursday that China has the right to implement the new regulations.

“Carrying out maritime management according to law is the justified right of a sovereign country.”

The China Daily also said new maritime surveillance ships will soon join Beijing's South China Sea patrol fleet, which has been expanded following recent high-profile standoffs with the Philippines and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Thursday called on China to withdraw three ships from the site of an April standoff.

Del Rosario told ABS-CBN television that Beijing has not fulfilled its promise to remove its ships from the disputed Scarborough Shoal, as agreed by both countries six months ago. VoA.

Communist China has doubled its military budget in the last 10 years, updating its Navy and Air Forces, while maintaining 4.5 Million troops.

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